Socio-Economic Factors’ Impact on the Offline Networking: A Quantitative Analysis of Albanian Business

• Main Author: Besa Shahini
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Danubius University 2016-05-01
• Series: EIRP Proceedings
• Subjects: Business networks; online/offline networking; socio-economic factors; quantitative analyze
• Online Access: http://www.proceedings.univ-danubius.ro/index.php/eirp/article/view/1682/1756
• ISSN: 2067-9211; 2069-9344

It exists so many studies and research on networks, especially on business networks, but still there is a little research which explores the factors that influence a manager's’ willingness to participate in business networks. Some of the socio-economic factors that moderate this participation are explored through this paper and the focus is based on offline face-to-face networking activities between companies, especially in an Albanian context. The research findings shows how the socio-economic factors such as gender, age, position and education level, influence the participation of such a business network moderated by the personal networking behavior of an individual. The study is based on a quantitative analysis of Albanian business member of the business networks. The results suggest that these socio –economic effects are important, but they do not come first in the perception of the process. What is important, the analysis, furthermore, finds that personal behavior and attitude are to be considered as key issues when it comes to participation in offline business networks.